Hotel broker weighs in on Sandcastle plan

Ocean Properties Hotels Resorts & Affiliates' plan to revamp the Sandcastle Resort on Sarasota's Lido Beach is drawing praise from a key hotel broker, who says that it will succeed despite a plethora of new rooms under construction in the city's downtown.

“It's a really smart move for them,” says Kent Schwarz, executive vice president of Colliers International Tampa Bay's hotel practice. “There's no reason that the Sandcastle, when completed, won't compete with the best hotel offerings in Clearwater or St. Petersburg.”

Ocean Properties earlier this month filed plans in Sarasota to raze the existing 64-year-old Sandcastle property on 6.1 beachfront acres and build a total of 304 rooms in twin towers. Designs call for the addition of 128 new rooms and meeting and restaurant space.